Fragrant Plants

3" double white, wonderfully fragrant flowers are produced over an extended period beginning in about midspring and continuing into midsummer on mature plants and they attract the hummingbird-like Sphinx moths as a pollinator. August Beauty Gardenia is a naturally evergreen, medium-sized shrub, growing to about 4-6'H x 4-6'W that makes an easy specimen plant or informal hedge for the garden or landscape. Provide Gardenias with a full sun to partially shaded site in a well-draining, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. In the hottest summer climates of its range the Gardenia often benefits from midday to afternoon shade. August Beauty Gardenia has long been a favorite in southern gardens for its fragrance, vigor, and reliability. Item# 310

The clusters of fragrant starry white flowers with a touch of contrasting red to burgundy at the base of the corona may be produced throughout the year under warm tropical conditions. The sweet and almost honey-like, spicily fragrant flowers attract butterflies, hummingbird moths, and other pollinators. The Australian Waxflower, Hoya australis, is an exceptionally vigorous growing, twining, evergreen, tropical vine with glossy rounded ovate foliage and burgundy new growth. It naturally wants to climb and the vines can reach 30' long if offered support but it can also easily be trained to a small 3' high trellis or as a hanging basket specimen. This appears to be one of the easier to grow species and is reported to tolerate some cool sunlight although the leaves may become more olive or yellowish green than the typical deep green coloration under high light conditions. Item# 12343

The rosette-like clusters of glossy, wide, succulent, medium green, tapering foliage resembles a bromeliad in many regards but is actually a close kin of the more common Wandering Jew and Spiderworts. Mature Basket Plant mothers may produce upright to arching branching stems that are adorned with basket-like clusters of dainty, white, fragrant flowers that are likely pollinated by hummingbird and Sphinx moths. New pups are typically produced at the ends of long, spidery trailing arms and can be up to 36" long. This is an easy and rewarding, heirloom plant suitable even for beginners and it can be enjoyed indoors as well as out. The Basket Plant, Callisia fragrans, is a naturally evergreen, tropical perennial with individuals growing to about 6-10"H x 12"W. It can be enjoyed as hanging basket and container specimens and is also used as an easy and low maintenance groundcover in areas with mild winter climates. It is reported to withstand some direct sunlight but the leaves tend to lay down and may take on purple tinging, we personally think it looks the best when grown in light shade or with a short period of cool direct sunlight like very early or very late in the day. Provide a well-drained, average moist soil and allow the soil to become somewhat dry between waterings. Item# 12908

Round clusters of lavender to white tubular flowers are born in summer on this durable native perennial. Wild Bergamot is a clump forming native perennial with good deer resistance. Excellent for hummingbirds and butterflies. This tough little native is drought tolerant and prefers to be on the dry side of moist and is resistant to drought once well-established. The fragrant foliage has been used in teas, perfumes, potpourri, and more. Item# 10484.

Highly mildew resistant and a dwarf compact habit! The dense whorled clusters of 2" long, deep violet, pollinator attracting, tubular flowers are held atop sturdy 12-18" high stems against the foil of purple-tinged, medium to deep green fragrant foliage. Bee-You® Bee Pretty™ Beebalm is a compact selection of this US native, clump-forming, slowly spreading perennial. Its small stature lends it to use as a container plant as well as a useful component of the garden and landscape. Provide ample sunlight in a moist but well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Flowering begins earlier in the warmer portions of its range and later in cooler regions. The flowers of Monarda are excellent for attracting hummingbirds and larger butterflies. Photos courtesy of Plants Nouveau, all rights reserved. Item# 12863

The intensely fragrant, up to 4" wide, double white flowers may produced throughout much of the year under warm tropical conditions and are held against a foil of large glossy dark green foliage. Belmont Gardenia is almost old enough to be an heirloom variety being patented in 1934 by Walter E. Lenk on Belmont Estate, Massachussets. In his patent application, PP93, he states that "The variety is an extraordinarily heavy producer and can be propagated rapidly. If not pinched back this variety blooms almost continuously and readily adapts itself to maximum production of blossoms in the Winter when they are so valuable." Obviously, Mr. Lenk developed it for greenhouse production but it has proven to be a highly desirable Gardenia clone that is still popular today and has proven to be hardy into zone 7. It is fairly similar to Aimee Yoshioka and Miami Supreme in vigor and flower size. In the garden and landscape, expect flowering to be heaviest in spring and summer with some repeat flowering into fall on mature plants. Item# 12299

This is the highly sought after and very rare red flowering Sweet Olive. Beni Kin Mokusei produces dense clusters of deep orange-red flowers in fall that are slightly larger than your typical orange flowered Sweet Olive as per Ted Stephens of Nurseries Caroliniana who managed to bring this wonderful plant into the US for us to enjoy. Sweet Olives are easy and reliable, long-lived, large evergreen shrubs with few pests or diseases. They can be enjoyed as a container specimen where not hardy. Item# 10786

This is the highly sought after and very rare red flowering Sweet Olive. Beni Kin Mokusei produces dense clusters of deep orange-red flowers in fall that are slightly larger than your typical orange flowered Sweet Olive as per Ted Stephens of Nurseries Caroliniana who managed to bring this wonderful plant into the US for us to enjoy. Sweet Olives are easy and reliable, long-lived, large evergreen shrubs with few pests or diseases. They can be enjoyed as a container specimen where not hardy. Item# 11453

The spike-like clusters (racemes) of tiny fragrant white flowers of Berlandier's Fiddlewood attract a whole host of pollinators including butterflies large and small, bees, and many other beneficials. Pollinated flowers are followed by long clusters of attractive orange berries that mature to black and are utilized by a variety of birds and mammals. This is an adaptable South Texas native that develops into a medium to large deciduous shrub to small tree. Item# 11368

The extra large flowers of Betty Magnolia can be up to 8" across and are pinkish purple to reddish purple on the outside and are white to near white on the inside. This is a vigorous growing Magnolia that typically grows as wide as it is tall with a naturally rounded habit on mature plants. Like the other 'Little Girls' in this series from the US National Arboretum, Betty flowers later minimizing the chance of freeze damage to the flowers. Item# 11483

The sweet melon scented, 8-10" wide huge white flowers are produced in midspring and can potentially reach 12" across with pollinated flowers producing large cones with bright orange-red fleshy seeds. One of the most notable aspects of the Bigleaf Magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla, as its name suggest is its huge, wide, bluish-green foliage with a white reverse that can be up to 30" long and over 12" wide boasting the largest leaves of any native North American tree. This is a medium sized, deciduous tree with a slow to moderate rate of growth with a pyramidal habit when young eventually developing a rounded crown at maturity. Provide the Bigleaf Magnolia with an average moist, well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter preferably sited out of strong winds to protect the foliage. It can be grown in full sun to partly shaded conditions and flowering usually begins at around 10 years of age. The flowers offer nectar to a variety of pollinators and the ripe fruit is utilized by birds and small mammals. Item# 12600

Lavender flowers emerge from dense, dark purple to near black bottlebrush-like spikes beginning in summer and continuing until fall. Black Adder Agastache is a vigorous sterile hybrid with fragrant licorice scented foliage and so it continues to flower throughout the growing season. Easy to grow and the flowers attract loads of pollinators especially bees. Item# 10807.

Showy deep violet-purple, fragrant spikes, to 8" long, are held at the ends of the arching, woody stems. Black Knight Butterfly Bush is an exceptionally free-flowering shrub, producing the intensely deep purple, fragrant flowers  from spring until fall. An excellent choice for butterfly gardens as well as providing nectar for a host of other pollinators including hummingbirds. Black Knight, an RHS Award of Garden Merit winner, is still one of the most strikingly colored and popular of all Buddlejas grown today. Item# 322.

The large, soft pumpkin orange, trumpet shaped, fragrant flowers are highlighted by a contrasting starry, lemony yellow throat and are held in clusters atop thick, sturdy stems well above the bluish green strap-like foliage. Blossfeld's Amaryllis is a rare but quickly multiplying hardy, bulbous perennial suitable for the garden or as an easy and rewarding container plant. Item# 11586

This award winning Agastache produces tall spikes of deep purplish blue tubular flowers held on sturdy stems atop rich deep green fragrant foliage. The flower show lasts for an exceptionally long period and begins in early summer with butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds all showing up for the feast. A drought resistant perennial preferring well drained mostly sunny sites, Blue Boa Agastache requires minimal care and provides big rewards. Photo courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com. Item# 10918.

Large clusters of lightly fragrant, pale blue flowers held on 12-14" high stems are produced in early spring to early summer, depending on your zone, attracting mainly butterflies, long-tongued bees, and sphinx and hummingbird moths. Blue Buttons' Lapham's Phlox, is a selection of Phlox laphamii, a.k.a. P. divaricata var. laphamii, that is reported to have a slightly longer flowering season, petals that are without clefts and are rounded to pointed, wider foliage and may have a slight preference for shade above that of typical Woodland Phlox. This is an evergreen to semi-evergreen, slowly spreading native perennial that makes a choice groundcover in average moist to moist, well-drained, fertile soils preferably rich in organic matter. Provide shade during the heat of the day such as morning sun, filtered shade, and deciduous shade seems to be about perfect as they receive sunlight during the majority of the growing season but are shaded by the time summer arrives. Item# 12878

Masses of dense blue spikes of fragrant, tubular flowers are held above the licorice scented, rich green foliage in summer on this highly sought after Agastache. The nectar rich flowers of Blue Fortune Agastache attract hordes of native pollinators and other beneficials to the garden. The beautiful form, fragrance, and flower power, and proven performance of this Agastache have made it a hit in gardens across the US. Use Blue Fortune in mass at the back of the border or in small specimen groupings to make a splash of long lasting color. Item# 10882.

Soft pastel pink with hints of purple 6-8" long trumpets are produced seemingly throughout the year on this smaller growing hybrid Angel's Trumpet with trumpets angled down and sideways versus just the typical straight downward hanging trumpets of most Brugmansia cultivars. Blushing Bride Brugmansia is a compact and smaller growing plant with probably the longest flowering season of any that we currently grow. The smaller habit lends it to use as a magnificent container specimen. Due to its Brugmansia sanguinea parentage we are not yet certain of its cold hardiness in the ground but some suggest zone 8. Provide a moderately fertile, well-drained average moist soil and midday shade for optimum vigor and flowering. Blushing Ballerina is sweetly night fragrant. Item# 11667

The tall spikes of deep golden yellow 1"+ wide flowers emerge from dark, near black buds and calyxes atop the tropical looking, up to 18" long, pinnately compound foliage composed of fragrant, deep olive green, rounded leaflets. The flowers may be produced throughout the warmer months of the year attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Buttered Popcorn Cassia, Senna didymobotrya, is a heat and sunloving, loosely branching, tropical shrub typically growing to 6-8' high, potentially larger in warmer climates with longer growing seasons and generally shorter, 4-6'H, in cooler summer climates. Gently rub the rounded slightly fuzzy leaflets and they will emit a fragrance similar to buttered popcorn to peanut butter depending on your nose which is certainly a good conversation starter especially for the younger generations. The Buttered Popcorn Cassia adds a splash of summerlong color and a tropical feel to any sunny setting. Provide a well-drained, fertile soil, in full to mostly sunny conditions for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 9018

Lightly honey scented, white to cream, tight ball-like flower clusters are produced on new growth in late spring and summer and attract an array of butterflies, bees, and other garden beneficials. The Buttonbush is a vigorous, medium-sized to large growing, deciduous shrub that does best in consistently moist soils with most of a day of sunlight. A moderate to severe annual pruning of established plants in late winter helps to promote fuller plants and the most flowers. Item# 9247.